The walk back felt different. Lighter. The plastic bag with its two strange, new noodle flavors swung at his side like a trophy. He’d done it. He’d navigated the outside world and made a choice that wasn't born from utter necessity. He even re-traced his route with his head a little higher, noting the familiar car, now with a fresh parking ticket tucked under its wiper.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsbdMgMfTf
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0W0uF5a6Yu
He scanned the brick wall for the cat, expecting to see it still reigning supreme over its domain. But the wall was empty. A sharp, furious hissing sound cut through the morning quiet, followed by a low, guttural growl. His eyes darted to the source.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWUDTtpIRjv
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqmtUcRmSe
The cat was there, but it was no longer grooming. It was on the opposite wall, its back arched, fur standing on end, spitting venomously at something in the narrow alley below. And then he saw it.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvSyUww456D
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuLGdFtHWfr
A dog. But something was terribly wrong. It was a medium-sized mutt, its coat matted and dirty. Foamy, thick drool dripped from its jowls, stringing down to the pavement. Its eyes were wide, unfocused, and held a terrifying, mindless aggression. It swayed on its feet, letting out another low, rumbling growl at the cat above.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGfk5WcIHRe
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH7UsBXtYlh
Rabid? The word exploded in Eon’s mind, cold dread instantly dousing his earlier good mood. His heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic drumbeat of pure fear. Every instinct screamed at him to fight or flee. His body automatically dropped into the boxing stance he’d practiced so much in-game, his hands coming up, his weight shifting.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU8Ci0Ni6jB
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ87WbiWueCr
But a louder, more rational thought overrode the impulse. One scratch and it's over. It's got the plague. Or rabies. Whatever this game's version is. This wasn't a Horned Rabbit with a predictable lunge pattern. This was a chaotic, diseased, real-world threat. His fists were useless.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMV0MZ121FT
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPUmztdjeVN
He stood there, frozen, a statue of indecision. The dog’s head swiveled slowly. Those clouded, insane eyes locked onto him. The growling stopped, replaced by a terrifying silence. Then, with a sudden, jerky burst of speed, it charged.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdke8SGutjK
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4UskFvY7Wu
The spell broke. Flight won over fight.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqG7RcOdmzC
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIEvjOxUI4W
Eon spun on his heel and ran. He ran like he had never run in his life, his worn-out sneakers slapping against the pavement. The plastic bag of noodles whipped wildly in his hand. He didn't think about where he was going; his legs carried him back the way he came, toward the only place of relative safety he knew: the convenience store.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJnRDhwvhYI
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3vKCiMceYj
His breath sawed in his lungs. The sound of scrambling claws and a frenzied barking echoed behind him, getting closer. He didn't dare look back.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqdgVu7uVfo
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDfvxdLVXYA
He rounded the corner, the store's blinding fluorescent sign a beacon of hope. And there were the guys, still lounging by the door, now watching his panicked approach with amused curiosity.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuGJWMuDstk
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtymjjWytrZ
"Whoa, dude, what's—" one of them started.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEIzJXXQdM8
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKbTTngnyOf
Eon didn't stop to explain. He lunged for the automatic doors with a rabbit-like quickness he didn't know he possessed, a desperate, adrenaline-fueled version of the Dexterity he’d been grinding. He practically fell through the opening, the doors hissing shut just as a snarling, slobbering muzzle slammed against the glass with a loud THUMP.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx0ewQMB53l
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7h1cHBKyIM
He lay on the cool linoleum floor, chest heaving, staring through the glass at the frenzied animal now throwing itself against the door. The guys outside were backing away, their amusement replaced by genuine alarm.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyVUWxKYG9R
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCYPvz0pYnc
Safe. For now. The quest for noodles had just turned into a survival horror game.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFjGz1ZDZUF
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZNLvfruAou
He lay on the cool linoleum, his heart trying to punch its way out of his chest. The clerk, a pimply young guy with a look of perpetual boredom, was now staring at him with wide, shocked eyes, then past him at the snarling, slobbering nightmare throwing itself against the glass.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJ3YXJcGgi
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNhfDXt0gxn
Then, two sharp, deafening CRACKS split the air.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9c1SPC9xU2
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgFfQOACR1V
Eon flinched, squeezing his eyes shut. The sound was so much louder, so much more visceral than any game effect. When he opened them, the dog was no longer at the door. It lay still on the pavement a few feet away.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPuq2wQ2oRx
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdlaB3nQVtH
The world outside fell silent for a beat, the echo of the gunshots hanging in the air. Then, the nervous chatter of the guys outside resumed, louder and more frantic.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5yNihhvXYu
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGhQuKIuQ3M
The clerk, his hands shaking, fumbled for the phone behind the counter. "Yeah— yeah, 911? There's a... a rabid dog, I think. It was attacking people. Then... then there were gunshots. On the corner of Elm and 5th." He listened for a moment, his eyes darting between Eon on the floor and the scene outside. "I don't know who shot it. Some guy. He just took off running. Yeah. Okay. Okay."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8C0m3AVYXV
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡt8Dh6YrvAW
He hung up and looked at Eon, who was slowly pushing himself up to a sitting position. "Cops are on the way. You okay, man? That thing almost got you."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ549fyF1kVi
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIat99CiA2G
Eon just nodded, his throat too tight to form words. He wasn't okay. His hands were trembling. The adrenaline was receding, leaving a cold, shaky emptiness in its wake. He was trapped inside the store, a prisoner of circumstance. The cops were coming. He'd have to talk to them. He'd have to explain.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCl8iC6GXcd
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqul6EjvekP
He pulled his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around them, trying to make himself small. He focused on his breathing, a technique he’d seen in one of the countless videos he’d binge-watched. In... out... He could still see the dog’s clouded, insane eyes. He could still hear the wet sound of its body hitting the glass.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqrYexq3wGo
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIE40pgLEbV
The quest for noodles had gone horribly, terrifyingly off the rails. All he’d wanted was some Lobster Bisque flavor. Now he was at the center of a police incident, his safe, controlled morning utterly shattered by the unpredictable chaos of the real world. He closed his eyes, wishing desperately for the simple, predictable violence of slimes and rabbits.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXnZIIhVObM
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVGD3PC8CC9
A few agonizing minutes later, the distinct wail of a siren cut through the tension, growing louder until a police cruiser screeched to a halt outside, its lights painting the storefront in frantic flashes of red and blue. Two officers stepped out, their postures all business as they assessed the scene: the group of shaken guys, the clerk peering nervously from behind the counter, and Eon, who was still sitting on the floor looking shell-shocked.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzyigZQfLxs
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvsyb0NB0Yu
The clerk, finding a voice now that authority had arrived, launched into a rapid-fire explanation, pointing at Eon and then at the motionless form on the pavement. One officer nodded, taking notes, while the other approached Eon.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0DQq9YndrF
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sfFq18FYc
"You the one it chased?" the officer asked, his tone neutral but firm.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFcMz7rDhVG
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtUZaedROCv
Eon managed a weak nod, pushing himself fully upright. "Y-yeah. It just... charged. Out of nowhere." His voice was thin, but he got the words out. He explained his walk, seeing the cat, the dog's foaming mouth, the mindless charge. It was a short, simple story.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQhzF24P2yv
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2OoetKXb1P
The officer listened, his eyes occasionally flicking to the dog. "You did the right thing running. Never try to handle an animal acting like that." He turned to his partner. "Call it in for pest control and cleanup."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxKVzuCmxeX
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡog85j9HpJU
The other officer was already on his radio, requesting the necessary services. The body on the pavement was just a problem to be solved, a biohazard to be removed.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMwKELd1i1K
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJIW3BjLpa2
The cops then turned their attention to the guys outside. After a brief conversation, one of them returned. "One of them has a registered piece. Says the dog was a clear threat, charging people. Fired two warning shots into the ground. Didn't hit it. The dog just... dropped. Probably from the stress or the disease. Heart gave out."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7NG2eO9EPp
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxLcrHCn8eh
The other officer, who had been examining the dog from a distance with a flashlight, called out, "Spiked collar here. No tags, though. Was probably someone's pet. We'll run the description, see if any reports match. Try to track down the owner."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP18acaHUha
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo7Rp9nFzye
The formalities wound down. The immediate danger was past. The bureaucratic machine was handling it. One of the officers looked at Eon. "You free to go, son. You need a ride somewhere?"264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkzaScmc2h4
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKggaKW2Qn
Eon shook his head quickly, the idea of being in a confined police car making his skin crawl. "N-no. I'm close. Thanks."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxctOUvauyb
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEsjerTArHM
The officer gave a short nod. "Alright. Stay safe."264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9sHjjv7NDf
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDFkhwdGq2m
And just like that, it was over. The police began stringing yellow tape, the clerk went back to his magazine, though he kept glancing at the door, and the guys outside were dispersing, the excitement fading. Eon was free to go.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡouIpSPbbmw
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4q8vMT7oN6
He stood there for a moment, the plastic bag of noodles still clutched in his hand. The adrenaline was gone, replaced by a deep, weary trembling. He had faced a real-world monster, and the system had dealt with it. He pushed the door open, stepping back out into the morning air, which now felt heavy and different. He didn't look at the shape on the ground. He just started walking, his steps quickening until he was almost running again, not from a threat, but toward the only sanctuary he had left.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbUsaUQdFtW
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHrZpctk3Mw
He practically fell back into his apartment, the door shutting behind him with a final, heavy thud that echoed the slam of his heart. He stood there for a long moment, back against the door, breathing in the familiar, stale air. The plastic bag of noodles dangled from his hand. Quest Complete.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnyKWlbleEt
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzs5vGd4DL
But there was no feeling of victory. Just a hollow, shaky aftermath.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpfCiQRL7yZ
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDym45O8dzF
Just like the awkward collision with the girl days before, the memory of the chase began to replay on a loop in his mind. The drooling muzzle. The frantic barking. The sound of his own panicked breathing. The two, world-shattering CRACKS of the gunshots. The sudden, awful stillness of the dog on the pavement.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXWOwVDzzBX
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSV4cFyeHkO
He slid down to the floor, the noodles forgotten beside him. He looked back, dissecting the event with a brutal, hyper-analytical focus. 264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡASHWJ0XS2b
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcHzxceCNI
If I hadn't looked forward... If I had just kept my eyes on the pavement like I always do... I wouldn't have seen the dog from a distance. I would have walked right into it. It would have been on me before I even knew it was there.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9fX37kv1Wk
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw567siIzMU
The possibilities raced, each one worse than the last. A bite. A scratch. A frantic, losing battle on the ground. The disease. Hospitals. Needles.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuQYs8FNJAg
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtGfkSFrlho
The awkward interaction with the girl would have been a thousand times better. A silent nod from an old man would have been a masterpiece of social success compared to this. He had wished for something more interesting than his routine, and the universe had delivered a dose of pure, terrifying chaos.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv22i7gTSTR
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFQ3zN7EI4q
He sighed, a long, shuddering breath that seemed to come from the very bottom of his soul. The tremor in his hands was finally starting to subside. His stomach, ever pragmatic, chose that moment to let out a loud, demanding rumble.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLAU2bes8r9
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡULubRlXfNp
Right. The noodles. The whole point of the disastrous expedition.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCKsA0rhokW
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUlzSpb5ns
He pushed himself up, went to the kitchen, and boiled water with mechanical movements. He tore open the Lobster Bisque package, the adventurous choice that had started it all and prepared it. The familiar routine was calming. He ate at his desk, the steam from the cup warming his face.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs2IRJJDuSV
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJOOSiBYzSc
But the silence of the room was too loud, filled with the echo of gunshots. He needed noise. Something simple, something innocent. He pulled up a compilation of cute cats falling off couches, the digital equivalent of a security blanket.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUJm5ws3HtO
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM7jYQDuhXY
The first spoonful hit his tongue and his face immediately contorted. He’d been so focused on the act of making it, on the normalcy of the routine, that he’d forgotten the actual product.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWEKdR44aEm
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2PVwd4ciDp
The Lobster Bisque noodles tasted like shit.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp8aGFzbha2
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡatXmKahzzB
It was a horrendous, artificial medley of salty dust, fishy chemicals, and a cloying sweetness that had no business being anywhere near a bisque, lobster or otherwise. It was, without a doubt, the worst noodle flavor he had ever subjected himself to. A catastrophic loot drop.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJxRXaR1CEN
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXP7k4SDv4Q
He watched kittens tumble into laundry baskets. The mindless, cheerful videos slowly overwrote the horrific footage playing in his head. The real world had been too much, too real, too sharp. He needed the soft, curated edges of the virtual one. He needed to log back in, where the dangers were predictable, the consequences were stats, and death was just a respawn timer.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFHCgoG3crC
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyt5U0Z1Q14
He finished the noodles, the bizarre bisque flavor a footnote in the day's drama. The capsule sat waiting, a silent promise of a simpler, more manageable reality.264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWBoIU6r65F
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUw6OTERoIv
Without another thought, he stood up, walked away from the disgusting failed experiment, and climbed into the waiting VR capsule. The lid hissed shut, sealing him away from the terrible taste in his mouth and the even worse memories of the morning.
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDDj7zokQzR
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJI4LigdlCe
264Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8iXfChoZBx
and then Add to home screen.